The Broken Sword
by RisingNight
Summary: What would happen if all of the Strawhats except Zoro died? What if Zoro was given a second chance? Would he be able to recover, or would the wounds on his heart eventually drive him to the depths of depravity? Not YAOI!
1. Shattered

Reading Guide

"Hello" Person talking

'Hello' Person thinking

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

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This is a non-scheduled story. More information is available at the bottom of my profile.

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The marines closed in on all sides, there were thousands of them.

Zoro smirked. 'The more the merrier.' With that he unsheathed his third sword and began to fight in earnest. With each swing of one of his swords dozens of the foes were sent flying. The battle was a whirlwind, a kaleidoscope of confusing colors. Images would appear and fade just as quickly.

Chopper fighting a group of marines using Kung Fu Point.

Nami surrounded by slightly crispy enemies.

That idiot of a cook running towards Robin who was managing just fine on her own.

The images whirled on, faster and faster. The heat of the battle rose higher and higher and Zoro's hearing faded until he could only hear the stead beating of his own heart. The battle continued, for how long he couldn't say, until a yell broke through Zoro's passion.

"Everybody!" Luffy yelled. "Let's go back to the Sunny! Retreat!"

"Huh?" Zoro yelled back. "Why? We can take them! Let's finish this and then we can set sail!"

"We should retreat!" Luffy yelled again.

"Fine. . ." Zoro grumbled. He turned his attention to the Southern end of the island where the Sunny was docked and he began to fight his way towards it. When he had finally reached the Sunny he felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck. Looking up he saw a shadow covering part of the sun, and when he realized what the shadow was his blood ran could. Who, actually. Kizaru shot down from the sky and landed a heavy blow on Luffy just as he was jumping to the Sunny.

"Luffy!" Zoro yelled. He wanted to rush to his captians side, but there were way too many marines in his way. "Damn it," he cursed as he one again began to fight his way through the crowd, literally. He could hear the sounds of the two fighting, Luffy's screams and the sounds of Kizaru's devastating attacks. Akainu might have hated the Strawhats, but it was Kizaru who perused them most fiercely, though not by his own violation. The Celestial Dragons had all but forced him out of Headquarters to chase them down.

Zoro spent the better part of a half hour fighting desperately through the crowd of white, barely making progress. When he had made it more then three fourths of the way, the crowd finally parted. But not to let him pass. Rather they parted so that they would not be hit by Luffy. Or rather his body.

Luffy's smoking form flew through the crowd and landed a few dozen feet away from Zoro who's eyes widened.

"Luffy!" he screamed as he ran to his captain's side. Kneeling down, he looked his captian over. He was in bad shape. He was covered in cuts and wounds of all sorts, but worst of all was his arm. The one that he still had appeared to be broken and the other one was nowhere to be seen. Zoro gritted his teeth as he grabbed Luffy and slung him over his shoulder.

'Chopper's really going to have his work cut out for him,' Zoro mused. Turning back to the Sunny he was just in time to watch it go up in flames. Amid the wreckage, Kizaru stood, covered in wounds which Luffy had presumably inflicted. Zoro nearly dropped Luffy, but he managed to keep his concentration. Kizaru would be coming for him next and he needed to protect his captain.

Just as he had expected, Kizaru immediately leapt off the ship and walked towards him, the crowd of marines parting to allow him to move unhindered.

"One left," Kizaru said, almost to himself.

"What?" Zoro asked.

"Mmmm?" Kizaru responded. "You're the last one. Everyone else is dead, or in Strawhat's case, dying."

Zoro froze, every muscle in his body tensed. His mind quivered before shattering completely. He saw red.

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Zoro and Kizaru fought for what seemed like days but was actually more like minutes. Kizaru would have been out of Zoro's league, but the wounds that Luffy had inflicted on him were effecting him greatly. The longer the battle wore on, the more apparent it became to Kizaru that he was going to lose if he dragged it out. Jumping back he charged up one of his lasers. Zoro wouldn't have enough time to react.

Everything slowed down. The light that gathered at the end of Kizaru's fingertip exploded outwards towards Zoro. He would die. Then, he felt movement on his shoulder. Luffy, barely conscious, had seen the attack. Finding strength within his dying body, Luffy managed to haul himself over Zoro's shoulder, falling off it. The attack that was meant for Zoro tore into and through Luffy's back, missing it's intended taget completely. With a heavy thud Luffy landed on the ground. Kizaru was shocked, to say the least. Falling to his knees once again, Zoro knelt by Luffy's side.

"Sorry, Zoro," Luffy managed to choke out. "I lost. I'm a pretty. . . pretty lousy captain, aren't I?" His entire body was racked with a fit of coughing and he spat up blood. "Looks like I-i'm going to die, shishishi. . . but Zoro, don't give up. You. . . you can still be. . . be. . . the best." Looking up at Zoro for the last time, Luffy smiled. "I believe," his entire frame shook and his voice cracked, "in. . ." the last word was so quiet Zoro almost didn't hear it, but he did. "you."

Even in his broken state, Zoro understood. Slowly rising to his feet he stood. Alone. Blinking, he realized that he truly was alone. The marines were gone, and Kizaru lay dead at his feet. Looking at his hand he found them covered in blood. He vaguely wondered when he had killed him, but he couldn't muster up the will to care.

"The Pirate Hunter Zoro," a voice droned behind him. Slowly turning around, he saw the gigantic form of PX-0. The giant of a man smiled slightly. "If you were to travel, where would you like to go?"

It sounded almost as if Kuma himself were speaking. "I can send you there." The Warlord offered. "Give you a second chance."

Zoro looked at him with lidded eyes. "Without my nakama," Zoro added.

Kuma smiled again. "You might like it. And, you won't know until you try." That said Kuma shifted his ever present Bible to his other hand and removed his glove. Zoro couldn't muster up the will to care, and simply remained where he was.

"Good luck," Kuma said. "It's thanks to Luffy that I am myself again, so I owe him this much." Taking a real interest in the Warlord for the first time, Zoro looked up in time to see Kuma's paw an inch from his face, and then he knew no more.

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**(There will be a poll on my profile concerning this story. There will be three options. The first is that Zoro should end up in the Elemental Nations after the Fourth Great Shinobi War. The second is that he should arrive before Naruto and CO start at the Academy, and the third will be that this should remain a one-shot. Please vote. I'm not saying that the vote will decide what I do, but it will certainly influence me.)**


	2. Awakening

Reading Guide

"Hello" Person talking

'Hello' Person thinking

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

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Zoro slowly opened his eyes and looked up into the sky. The wind moved the leaves on the trees above him ever so slightly, sending shadows dancing over the forest floor.

'I'm. . . alive,' he thought to himself. 'And. . . I failed.'

He continued to stare up at the sky until the sun had begun to set, not thinking a single thing. Finally, as if coming out of a trance, he blinked slowly.

'It's my fault, my fault, my fault,' he repeated to him self. 'My. . . but it's too late for that. Too late. . . too late. I can't go back. I must move forward. But what is forward?'

Zoro continued to lie in the last rays of the setting sun, and once the sun's last hold on the horizon had slipped, he stirred. Sitting up, he felt something fall off his chest and drift downward to the leave covered floor of the forest. Reaching down, he picked it up. It was a note.

_Zoro, your captain gave me a second chance and so to repay him I have given you one as well. I have sent you to a distant land, one from which return is all but impossible. There you can live as you want to, as he would have wanted you to. I have even restored 17 years of your life by pushing the years out of you in the same way that I pushed the pain out of his body on Thriller Bark. I have also removed any wounds and scars that you once had so that you may leave your past behind. I wish you the best of luck in your second try_**.** -Kuma

The letter fell from Zoro's hands. Looking down at himself he found that he did indeed look to be 17 years younger and at the same time he realized that he could see through his left eye. Even the gargantuan scar from his fight with Mihawk was gone, only unbroken flesh remained. Finally fully taking in his surroundings he noticed that his swords were nowhere to be found. The Shusui, Kitetsu, the Wado, all gone.

'The Wado Ichimonji, another failure.' Slowly rising to his feet Zoro lifted his head to look into the sky. 'Why? Why am I alone?'

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**(Two Months Later)**

Since that day Zoro had survived. He had not lived nor loved, but he had _survived_. He made money by hunting down bounties. He had no alliances, no allegiances and no one to call a friend. He wasn't concerned with such things. In fact, if it wasn't for they fact that they had given their lives for him, he would have committed Seppuku long ago. But they had, and so he lived on.

He vividly remembered it, his first fight in this new world.

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Zoro stood at the top of a tall hill looking down of the large camp with it's blazing fires. The flames danced like dragons, each sending shadows waltzing around it. The camp belonged to a group of thieves lead by a missing nin. Supposedly ninja were strong, and supposedly he ninja he was about to face was considered an A rank. He couldn't care less.

It hadn't taken him long, and looking back it made sense. He had quickly discovered that although he had gotten younger his power had not diminished even slightly. Kuma said he had pushed the years out of him so it made sense that he had retained the power.

Jumping down from the bluff Zoro landed amid the sea of dancing lights. The thieves didn't notice, yet. Charging forward Zoro dispatched four of them. Not pausing he shot towards the next group. The whirlwind commenced. The thrill of battle which had once made his blood boil barely noticeable to him now. He defeated his opponents with precise strikes, not an ounce of effort wasted. Minutes began to pile up and yet he didn't care, Over a half hour later he stood outside the tent at the center of the camp. The path of carnage he had created circled around the camp. There were no survivors.

The wind howled and Zoro sensed a presence behind him. "don't bother. I know you're there."

"Oh, mmm? Not bad. . . for a kid. I guess Suna had another weapon."

"Suna, weapon?"

"Don't you know? You're as crazy as the redhead."

"Redhead?"

"Yeah. I fled from Suna because of it. Their jinchuuriki, a boy named Gaara. He was, and probably still is, ostracized, alone. I wonder how many times they've tried to kill him? They would kill him if they could they despise him because of something he can't control. He is a weapon, like you. You were trained by Suna from birth, right? I can offer you a place to stay, a place to live. . . what do you say?"

"A place, to belong. . ."

"Yes."

"I don't deserve one." As fast as lightning Zoro whirled around and delivered a devastating punch to the side of the missing nin's head. There was a sickening crunch and blood flew everywhere. The body of the former ninja flew across the camp before impacting heavily agains the hill that Zoro had jumped from.

Zoro closed his eyes. 'No, I don't deserve a place to belong, no matter how much he would have said I do.' Opening his eyes he looked down at his bloody hand. Then it happened. The blood on his hand became Luffy's blood, the bodies around him became the bodies of those he knew. Nami, Robin, Chopper, Franky, the whole crew lay dead around him. But it wasn't just them.

There was Vivi, Dorry and Broggy, Kunia, Johnny and so may others. They were dead, but he wasn't. Zoro fell to his knees. Although he had been able to get up after the death of his nakama the wound was far from healed. In much the same way as the wound that he had received from Mihawk he had been ignoring it and it had caught up with him.

Zoro's mind blanked and he lost consciousness.

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Blinking, Zoro sat up. The grassy camp that had been a battlefield the night before now served as a graveyard. The memories of the night coming back to him, Zoro realized several things. 'I have Hemophobia, no, rather the sight of blood triggers my memories of. . . of. . . it.' Zoro shuddered. 'But wait, that ninja mentioned Suna. That's the ninja Village that had the bounty out on this guy. He mentioned a redhead that was like me. What could have happened to him?'

Standing up once again he viewed the wasteland that surrounded him. Looking at the dried blood the sensation from the night before began to rise up inside him. He shut his eyes as quickly as he could. 'I see. Sight is now more of a weakness than an asset. Perhaps I should cut my eyes out. . ." he pondered, but then he remembered the events on Little Garden where he had tried to cut his legs off. 'No. In that case. . ."

Zoro untied his armband and tied it around his forehead. Once that was done he pulled the front down over his eyes. That complete he focused on his Observation Haki. Using it's power he was able to get a vague outline of the world around himself. 'It'll have to do.' Walking over to the fallen missing ninja he slung him over his shoulder and was off.

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The sight of a five year old dragging a semi-famous missing-nin through the streets of Suna was quite the sight. Even more so when the top half of the five year olds head and eyes were covered by a green cloth. After turning the bounty in at the Kazekage building he wandered around Suna. That was what he had been doing ever since.

He had wandered and wandered. He had met the redhead that the missing-nin had mentioned. People avoided both of them. Gaara was a monster and the dark child, as the called him, was cursed. Gaara was in the same situation as he was and Zoro had to admit that he felt bad for the kid.

That day went by quickly and as night came Zoro once again went to observe Gaara. It wasn't uncommon, really. At night Gaara would often stare up at the moon and Zoro would watch him with his Haki. At those times Gaara was peaceful, it was a wonderful contrast to Gaara's usual turbulent emotions.

That night was different, though. He knew it would be. He had sensed the civillians and ninja leaving the Village at dusk. That night Gaara's uncle tried to kill him and Gaara lost control. The Shukaku was released in the middle of the city. Zoro could sense the Kazekage, Gaara's father, and he knew that he would deal with Gaara. Deal with him, not help him.

'I'll help him. I failed, but that doesn't mean that I cannot move forward. I shall protect him. Luffy would have wanted me to.'

With that thought in mind Zoro stood and took off his armband. Opening his eyes for the first time in nearly two months he charged.

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'He's a failure,' the Kazekage thought. 'No, he's a danger to this Village. I must kill him.' He was about to use his gold dust when he felt something. A presence. It was like the sea, vast and cold, but unlike the sea it had a strangely empty quality about it. Looking for the source he spotted the child that the villagers had taken to calling the dark child charging the Shukaku.

The Kazekage had wondered about him. Whenever a five year od shows up with one of your villages more notable missing nin it's quite the experience. Looking closer the Kazekage noted that the child was missing his ever present green cloth. The face that he saw was determined, and despite his youth, honestly looked threatening.

'What is he doing? He's headed right for the Shukaku. . . No, he can't intend to. . .'

The Zoro punched the Shukaku's right leg right out from underneath it.

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Zoro sat on the sleeping and minimally injured Gaara. "I know you're there," he intoned. "You ninja aren't nearly as stealth as you seem to think you are."

The Kasekage seemed to agree as he emerged from the shadows. "Who are you?"

"Who? I was a swordsman, a sailor, a warrior. Now. . . I am a protector. So that what happened to me does not occur again. So that Gaara, who you would have killed, survives. So that. . . so that," at this point Zoro nearly broke down, but he pushed onward. "So that he would be proud of me."

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**(A/N: Thanks to all of you who voted on the poll. This story will continue, albeit as a non-scheduled one, thanks to your votes. Zoro is going to be staying in Suna with Gaara but he will be meeting Naruto and CO later. I wanted to keep this from turning into Konoha no Tsurugi and putting him in Suna will solve that problem. Although it is an awesome story it has already been done and doesn't need to be done again. Please review and tell me your thoughts on the chapter!)**


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